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The Painting Solution: Episode 3

We are back for episode 3 of The Painting Solution – thanks for joining us!

Just to recap, we’ve high-pressure cleaned and prepared all relevant surfaces and we’ve managed to source high-quality paint brushes and rollers. Before we go any further, we feel it’s best to take a step back and touch on certain aspects of safety and why they are so important to the running of any project.

SAFETY FILE

As required by law, no construction project can start without a proper safety file. A safety file needs to be created with all the relevant documents and demonstrate to the client that a suitably sufficient documentation of health and safety plan has been implemented. An index of the various items that need to be included are as follows:

Client Health and Safety Specifications

Contractor’s Health and Safety Plan

Notification of Construction Work

Letter of Good Standing

Site Rules

Occupational Health and Safety Act / Construction Regulation

Health and Safety Policy

Client – Mandatory Agreement (37.2)

Sub-Contractors – Mandatory Agreement (37.2)

Legal Appointments

Competency Certificates

Risk Assessments

Incident Management Procedure and Forms

Induction Training Records

D. Copies

Tool Box Talks

Fall Protection Plan

Registers / Checklists

Bi Monthly Inspection/Compliance Audits

Emergency Contact Details

All those who work in the construction industry have their part to play looking after their own health and safety as well as in improving the industry’s health and safety record.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

The obvious candidates for PPE include overalls, safety boots, hardhats, protective eyewear, gloves and respiratory/dust masks. All staff are equipped with overalls, boots and hardhats every 6 months to ensure that they are personally equipped with adequate protection. Eyewear, gloves and masks are then allocated on a task-by-task basis. More important however are the following pieces of equipment that come into play as tasks become more advanced:

Certified Step Ladders and Scaffolding

Full Body Harness

Ladders are very often both a central part of a paint job, but also a key danger area. To prevent an incident, always inspect the ladder. Check the condition of the ladder both before and after use and that the ladder is sufficiently robust to support your weight. When erecting the ladder, clear the area around the ladder from any clutter. Make sure the floor is even and stable and avoid wet or slippery surfaces and always support the ladder at four points. After climbing the ladder, always keep 3-point contact with the ladder.

Full body harnesses are put into use when working at height and all teams are required to undergo training to gain maximum safety before work can begin.

In conclusion, it must seem like quite an exhausting process that needs to be undertaken BEFORE a staff member can even pick up a brush, but at the end of the day, their safety and the integrity of our company is at risk and we have no problem being finicky when it comes to the full and correct implementation of all the necessary safety protocols.